Approved by the Ministry of Science and Technology of the People's Republic of China, the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology (CUHK) is the second state key laboratory at CUHK, following the establishment of the State Key Laboratory in Oncology in South China (CUHK) in 2006. The national-level laboratory was established with the mission of up-scaling China's agricultural technology to the world frontier to increase agricultural productivity, safeguard food security in China, and improve people's nutrition. The laboratory is housed in the complex comprising the Science Centre and the Centralized Science Laboratories Building and is directed by Prof. Samuel Sun Sai-ming, a member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering.

At the plaque-unveiling ceremony, Minister Wan Gang said that the Laboratory would further enhance exchange between scientists in Hong Kong and the mainland, and encourage collaborative research efforts. He praised CUHK for its solid foundation in research, strong research team and state-of-the-art laboratory facilities. With these advantages, he is confident that the collaboration between CUHK and the China Agricultural University will prosper and bring more contributions to mankind.

Headed by Minister Wan Gang, the 11-member delegation from the Ministry of Science and Technology met with Prof. Lawrence J. Lau to understand the University's development. Minister Wan also introduced CUHK members to the developments in science and technology in China. Besides, the delegation visited the campus and the Center for Hybrid Intelligent Vehicles.